Improvement in machines for straightening and rounding rafting



P. H. LAPORGE & W. GEDDES. MACHINE FUR STRAIGHTENING AND ROUNDING SHAPTING.

No. 76,781. Patented'Apr. 14, 1868.

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. LAFORGE AND WILLIAM GEDDES, OF WATERBURY, CONN.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR STRAIGHTENING AND ROUNDING ("AFTING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 76,781 dated April 14, 1868.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, FREDERICK H. LA- nonen and WILLIAM Gnnnns, both of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State 'of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Straightening and Rounding Shafting; and we do hereby declare that thefollowiug is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, ref-" Similar letters of reference indicate corre'-' sponding parts in all thefigures.

This invention is designed for straightening iron shai'tii'lg, rods, 820., and also for bringing the same into anearly or quite round or cylindrical condition, thereby wholly dispensing with the ordinary operation of turning.

The invention consists in the combination, with the pressure-rollers, which act upon the shaft or rod to straighten and shape or round the same, of feed-rolls arranged obliquely to the axis of such shaft or rod while the same is passing between the pressure-rollers, whereby the requisite feeding of the shaft or rod to the pressure-rollers is efl'ectually secured.

The invention further consists in 'so combinin g two supporting-rolls with the pressure-rollers and feed-rollers, all of which being made adjustable toward a common center, that the shaft or rod, as it passes inward from-the feeding-rolls, will beheld in such relation with the pressure-rollers as to insure the most efficient operation of such rollers thereon.

The invention further consists in'so beveling or tapering the ends of the pressure-rollers and supporting-rolls and arranging the same with reference to the feeding mechanism that the introduction of the shaft orrod to be manipulated to or between such rollers and rolls is effectually provided for.

To enable others to understand the nature and construction of our invention, we will proslots of each side are placed two sliding bearings, A which may be adjusted at a greater or less distance from each other by means of set-screws I). These bearings A receive the journals (shown in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and 2) of two pressure-rollers, l5.

0 indicates two rolls, the journals of which work in vertical bearings 15*, made adjustable by means ofscrews a and which are situated one above -and one below the space at c, immediately between the nessure-rollers.

Each of the pressure-rollers is'furnished with a spur-pinion, d, the two pinions being acted upon by a driving spur-wheel, D, to rotate the two rollers in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

Formed in one of the sides'of the frame-work A, in line with the space at 0, between the rollers, is a hole or opening, 0*. Secured to the same side of the framework, at the outer surface thereof, is a box, 0*, and communicating with the opening d thereof are three radial recesses, e, rectangular in their cross-section, and having placed in them a corresponding number of blocks, j, which are made adjustablelongitudinally within the recesses by means of screws 9, which extend into the inner or closed ends of the recesses through the adjacent parts of the box A*. The er [is of the blocks f, toward .the opening (1*, are hollowed out to receive the feed-rolls, (marked respectively a b c,) the feed-rolls being pivoted tra-nsverely' in,

such ends.

The line g g in Fig. 3 indicates the axis of the shaftor rod to be manipulatedwhen such shaft or rod, in passing between the pressure-rollers and the several feed-rolls, instead of being placed with their axes in lines parallel therewith, are situated obliquely thereto, as follows: The upper roll, a, has its axis in a horizontal plane parallel with the line 9' g" but inclined laterally with reference to such line, as shown by the line 9 g inFig. 3. The

axis of the roll bis situated in avertical plane parallel with the line g 9*, but is inclined, with its inner end raised or elevated to a de' gree corresponding to the lateral inclination of the roll a. The remaining roll, '0, has its axes in a similar vertical plane, but with its inner end depressed to give it an inclination corresponding in degree to the inclination in the opposite direction of the roll I). The feedrolls, being thus all arranged in a corresponding oblique manner relatively to the axis of the shaft or rod as it passes between the press: lire-rollers, are enabled to communicate a longitudinal movement to the shaft or rod to feed the same to the pressure-rollers, as hereinafter further explained.

Those end portions of the pressure-rollers and of the supporting-rolls adjacent to the feed-rolls just described have their peripheries tapered or beveled for a short distance, as shown at m and'm, respectively, in such manner as to faeilitatethe introduction of the end of the shaft or rod between the pressure-rollers preliminary to manipulating the same.

In using the machine the pressure-rollers B and supporting-rolls G are adjusted at a suitable distance apart, and the shaft or rod to be straightened or rounded is thrust through the opening d between the feeding-rolls a b e, and thence through the hole a", with its end entering the space at c, and forced snugly between the tapered end portions m and m of the rollers B and rolls U, which being done, the feed-rolls are tightened upon or around the shaft or rod by means of the screws g, acting on their blocks f, and a rotary motion, as hereinbefore explained, is given to the rollers B, whereupon the rollers bite upon the rod between them and communicate thereto a rotary motion around its axis. As the shaft or rod thus rotates it causes the feed-rolls to revolve, so that the edges of the feed-rolls, brought in contact therewith from the oblique position of such rolls, operate to feed the shaft or rod inward toand between the pressure rollers, the rollers just mentioned and the oblique feed-rolls together causing the shaft to have, as it were, a spiral movement in passing between the rollers, during WlllCll the pressure of the parallel inner sides of the rollers upon the shaft or rod not only effectually shaft or straightens the same, but, by continuously subjecting it to pressure while turning upon its longitudinal axis, brings it into a nearly or quite perfectly round or cylindrical form, thereturning ordinarily employed in fitting shafting, 850., for use, and also renders it, as near as may be, of uniform diameter throughoutits length.

While the shaft or rod is being thus operated upon by the pressure-rollers it is supported in proper position between such rollers by the supporting-rolls C.

When desired, two or more shaftsor lengths of shafting may be connected at their ends by a male and female screw, and thus connected, be subjected to the operation of the machine in lieu of being fed separately thereto.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I; The obliquely-arranged feed-rolls,in combination with the pressurerollers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of theguide-rolls 0, the pressure-rollers B, and the obliquely-arranged feed-rolls a I) c,provided with their respective means of adjustment,all arranged and operating substantially as set forth.

FRED. H. LAFORGE. WILLIAM GEDDES. Witnesses: l

L. SANFORD DAVIS,

F. H. CnA'rFIELD.

by wholly dispenslng with the operation of 3; The construction of. the pressure-rollers 

